45,610
Population
Sunny Days: 215
46100 Affordability
90100 Schools
32100 Diversity
73100 Safety
Sing praise to Alma Mater dear,
For V.P.I. we'll ever cheer;
Come lift your voices, swell the song,
Our loyalties to her belong.
Blacksburg, Virginia
Huckleberry Crossing
Downtown Blacksburg
Lyric Theater
Virginia Tech
Caboose Park
The Best Thing About Blacksburg?
The Great Outdoors (although Carol Lee Donuts is also pretty awesome)
Blacksburg is one of the most beautiful spots in Virginia, which is saying something because the states has some stunning landscape. It’s nestled between the Blue Ridge and Alleghany Mountains, which means you’re surrounded with camping, hiking and leisurely strolling options. The Appalachian Trail is just 40 miles away but there’s other less famous but just as fabulous outdoor adventures available including Cascades National Rec Trail with a 66-foot waterfall, Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve, also with a series of waterfalls, New River for those craving water play, and most convenient, Huckleberry Trail, the main greenway throughout Blacksburg, so you don’t even have to leave town to enjoy the fresh air and beautiful countryside.
Oh, and the aforementioned Carol Lee Donuts, which was recently named one of the Top 100 Donut Shops of 2023.
The Worst Thing About Blacksburg?
When Schools Out
A lot of the social energy of Blacksburg comes from the student population. In the summer, when the kiddos are back home, some locals complain the town is dead. A counterpoint to this is the view from those who are pretty damn thrilled when the Hokies hit the road and leave the restaurants/bars and trails to the grownups. We’ll leave that topic aside for a minute and just note that Virginia Tech is a big part of the population for nine months of the year and when they empty out things get very quiet.
Lifestyle of Blacksburg
Casual Fun
As with many college towns, a lot of the area events and activities happen on campus. One of the great things about being a local is that you can attend all the sports, concerts and performing arts events that VTech hosts, many which are held at the renowned Moss Arts Center. Locals can also visit the Hahn Horticulture Garden, a beautiful botanical garden on campus, ideal for those in the mood for nature but not game for hitting the trails. You also get the amazing hiking and outdoor adventures described above in the Appalachian Mountains, or Cascades National Trail, or the many many other spots in the surrounding mountains.
Downtown Blacksburg has some fun restaurants including, Cellar, a casual Greek spot with tons of local and national microbrews, Benny Marzano’s, a New York-style pizza spot, and The Black Hen & Bar Blue, a farm-to-table restaurant that features Southern-inspired dishes. Perhaps most notable for off-campus entertainment is Lyric Theatre, a historic downtown venue that hosts live music, theater, and film screenings and serves as a cultural hub for the city.
Schools in Blacksburg
Getting A's
Blacksburg is part of the Montgomery County Public School District, which has an excellent reputation and receives an A- on niche.com with even higher scores for the quality of the teachers. There are a number of A and A+ schools including Blacksburg High School and Harding Avenue and Gilbert Linkus Elementary Schools so there are good choices for those craving strong public education.
What You Should Move Here Now?
Good Prices for a College Town
College Towns are all the rage for graduates looking to extend their youth, young families looking for fun cities with excellent schools, and empty nesters/retirees who want culturally interesting cities with great walkability. That means housing prices in these little havens have spiked in recent years. Blacksburg has a median listing price of $547k and median sale price of $442k. That’s not cheap by any stretch but it beats many other college towns by a couple hundred thousand.
Living in Blacksburg
Neighborhoods in Blacksburg
View All
Downtown
Young Professionals, Families, DINKS, Students
Downtown is as active as it gets in Blacksburg. Everything is walking distance, including Virginia Tech, so you can’t beat it for fun and convenience. You also get the Historic District known as “Old Sixteen Squares” which includes some of the most beautiful homes in the city. The median list price is $657k but actual sale price is just $365k so the value is excellent. One other huge plus to Downtown is how close it is to Gilbert Linkous and Harding Avenue Elementary schools. Two of the best elementary schools in the area. There’s nothing like a walk or short bike ride to school for making you feel a part of a community.
Hethwood
Families
Hethwood is the first master planned community in the area, developed in 1971 on 316 wooded acres. Families love the neighborhood in part due to the incredible amenities including: swimming pools in each of the subdivisions, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts and plenty of community space for cookouts and kiddo play areas. Families can rent or purchase homes throughout the neighborhood and the average sale price for homes in 2022 was $332k so it’s ideal for young families, both for pricing and community culture. One big plus to Hethwood is its close proximity to Blacksburg High School, which gets an A+ score on niche.com.
Prices Fork
Families
If you’re looking for a more rural experience, check out Prices Fork. West of downtown (and sometimes defined as including Hethwood), the homes have great big lots and tons of room for kiddos to play outdoors. The outdoor experience also comes from Prices Fork being home to Heritage Park. This is 169 acres of walking and biking trails, meadows, streams, and just stunning chances to escape and enjoy the great outdoors. It also has community spaces with picnic tables, and pergolas for gathering family and friends for celebrations and weekend play. The bigger homes in Prices Fork command a higher price tag with median listing price at $569k but an average sale price of ~$300k
Mount Tabor
Families/DINKs
Mount Tabor is another historic district in Blacksburg that is a bit more family-centric than Downtown. It has a cool mix of historic homes and newer condo/apartment developments. That means the population of the neighborhood trends younger and older families and couples looking to live outside the racket of Downtown. One of the developments in Mount Tabor that is popular is Mount Tabor Meadows, a small community of energy-efficient homes, all built to meet Energy Star and EarthCraft House certifications. Average listing price for homes in Mount Tabor is $369k so you can find affordable options here. The neighborhood is also just north of Gilbert Linkous and Harding Avenue Elementary Schools -- two of the best in the city and for many in the neighborhood, a walk from home.